


Salt

by Jbee



Series: Gates of Askr: Year One [7]
Category: Fire Emblem Heroes, Fire Emblem Series
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-15
Updated: 2020-04-15
Packaged: 2021-03-01 22:07:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,446
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23674351
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jbee/pseuds/Jbee
Summary: Kiran's least favorite holiday, The Day of Devotion festival, is upon Askr and she's been asked to help bake cookies!  Will Kiran's salty mood spoil what are meant to be sweet treats?
Relationships: Summoner/Ranulf
Series: Gates of Askr: Year One [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1703545
Kudos: 8





	Salt

**Author's Note:**

> This series is a collection of short stories driven by the FEH Subreddit Weekly Writing Prompt. First published February 10, 2020. "Kiran has to make chocolate, and has run out of the secret ingredient!"

Kiran rummaged through the basket that Sakura had given her. It was full of various ingredients for Kiran to make the sweets that the Order planned to sell at the upcoming Day of Devotion festival. She picked up the recipe card, _Salted Caramel Chocolate Cookies_ , seemed easy enough when Sakura gave her the assignment, but Kiran decided to enlist the help of her good friend Ranulf anyways. She had to make a few batches of the candies and thought the afternoon would go by a bit faster if she had someone to hang out with.

They planned to meet up outside the castle ballroom. Kiran was a bit early and took a seat of the window bench across from the room. She could see Rinea instructing other heroes that wanted to learn how to dance for tonight’s gala to celebrate the opening of the festival. Kiran couldn’t help but roll her grayish green eyes returning her attention back to the basket, she picked up one of the slender bottles from the basket and turned it around to read the label, _Gates of_ _Askr: Merlot, aged 3 years._ She chuckled to herself, “Well thank-you Sakura, I knew you weren’t that innocent.”

“Is it not a bit early for that?” a voice off to her side asked.

“it’s 12-o-clock somewhere.” was her knee-jerk reply, Kiran looked up to see Alfonse, dressed a bit more casual than usual, holding art supplies and a sketch book tuck under his arm.

“I guess that’s true…” Alfonse responded, scratching his chin.

“Hey, what are you up to?” Kiran questioned, putting the bottle back in the basket, and standing up. She reached out to take the sketch book. “Is that cologne I smell?” she grinned.

Alfonse recoiled keeping the book away from Kiran, “I’m on my way to visit Kiria. We were discussing the sketch I had made, and she was telling me about her job as a model in your world. She just asked if I would create a few more.” He explained, trying to sound nonchalant.

“Oooh I bet Anna loves that idea!” Kiran said, “I’m sure she can make a pretty penny charging for your artistic talents.”

“Oh no, I am not charging Kiria for the work.” Alfonse answered, “I am happy to do it.” He smiled.

“I’m sure you are.” Kiran told him, smirking with a mischievous smile.

Alfonse blushed and looked away to avoid eye contact, “It’s not like…” he struggled to find his words, “I should be going, I do not want to be late!” as he turned to leave, he asked shyly, “Kiran? Please don’t tell Anna, or you know, anyone else.”

“Cross my heart and hope to die!” Kiran happily replied, raising her left hand and making a crossing motion over her heart with the other.

Alfonse gave her a puzzled look but nodded to her verbal promise. Kiran giggled as she watched Alfonse walk away and turn the corner, then she noticed something move in a shadowed alcove a bit further down the hall. She squinted trying to make out what was in the shadows only to be met with two red piercing eyes staring back at her. She gasped, and felt the tingle of adrenaline flush through her body.

“Hey! Sorry I’m late!” Someone called out from behind.

Kiran jumped, and turned around to see Ranulf running up, eating a large sandwich. She quickly looked back to the shadowed alcove, but it was empty. She squinted again, she was sure she had just seen something.

“I just got back to the castle and thought I would grab a bite first.” Ranulf said catching up to her, “what… is it? You look like you’ve… seen a ghost.” He asked between mouthfuls of sandwich.

“Nothing, nothing, just my mind playing tricks on me.” Kiran replied, shaking her head trying to throw off the uneasy feeling her shadowed phantom gave her, “Thanks for helping, it shouldn’t take long, I know you’re busy!”

“It’s fine, Yarne is always unhappy to fill-in.” Ranulf chuckled, taking another bite, “What’s going… on in there” he asked walking over to the entrance of the ballroom.

“Dance lessons, for tonight’s gala.” Kiran said, picking up the basket of ingredients and joining him at the doorway.

“Are you going?” Ranulf asked, popping the last bite in his mouth and watching the heroes spin each other around the large ballroom as Rinea instructed.

“Unfortunately.” Kiran groaned, “and I haven’t been to a dance since prom.” She added turning to leave, with Raunlf following close behind.

“Ahh yes, am I in for another story from your unfortunate sky school years?” he laughed, taking the basket from her.

“* _High*_ school.” She laughed as she corrected him.

“It’s the same thing.” Ranulf shrugged, thinking about it.

“Well, no… and I’ll save you the pain of hearing another story.” She told him, as they walked by a large Day of Devotion flora arrangement, “Stupid Valentine’s Day.” She mumbled.

“Valentine’s Day?” he questioned, hearing this reference for the first time.

“Oh, yeah, it’s pretty much the same as the Day of Devotion they hold here. You give cards and gifts, gorge on candy, confess your * _undying love to someone*_ , blah, blah, blah…” Kiran sarcastically explained, rolling her eyes and waving her hands, “Did you have anything like that in your world, er Tellius?” she asked.

“Nah, well I’m not sure about Beorc, but not in Gallia.” Ranulf told her, “Laguz don’t need a day dedicated for us to let someone know how we feel about them, we do that whenever we want!” he laughed, “But the dancing and festivals do sound fun! Maybe Beorc just need an excuse to let loose sometimes, or they will forget to stop working so hard!”

“It’s really just a scam to get people to buy stuff they don’t need, and spend gross amounts of money to dress up and go out to fancy dinners.” Kiran replied, she could feel rage building up in her, “And what is it for?” she asked as they arrived outside the castle kitchen.

“Ahh…” Ranulf hugged the basket he was holding unsure where this was going.

“It’s for nothing!” Kiran angrily cut him off, “You just find yourself alone in the rain, with a broken high heel shoe, trying to hail a cab, because you smashed your phone on the ground when you found out your fiancé was too busy banging his co-worker and forgot about your dinner plans!” she huffed finishing her rant. She had never shared this before with anyone in Askr, but with all the preparation for the festival of love, it was hard to keep old feelings from bubbling up to the surface.

Ranulf stood there staring at her like a deer caught in headlights, clutching the basket for dear life.

“Damn it, just, just forget I said anything…” Kiran went to apologize for her outburst, but there was a loud crash that came from the kitchen.

Both Kiran and Ranulf looked at each other briefly before rushing in. They were astonished when met with a scene of scattered pots and pans, cookie batter splashed on the walls and counters, and plumes of black smoke rising from the oven. Both Felicia’s were running around the kitchen trying franticly to tend to these separate issues, only to make them worse, and the Lukas’s picking up after them in their path of destruction.

“Ahhh summoner! Are you here to do some festive baking too?” Lukas asked, dusting off some flour from his vest and smiling while adjusting his tie.

“Here! Let me make some room for you!” Felicia cried, pushing bits of dough and bowls to one side of the counter only to trip on her heels and knock everything to the ground.

Lukas laughed and helped her up, and the other couple joined them having pulled the burning cookies from the oven.

“Oh um,” Kiran looked around the kitchen.

“We should go somewhere else.” Ranulf whispered through his teeth in Kiran’s ear, “That pot of water is on… * _fire*_.”

He was right, Kiran looked past the happy couples to see a pot boiling over the fire, blue flames flicking upwards on the surface of the water. Kiran grimaced, * _how does that even happen_? * she thought to herself.

“Ah, we just came to pick up a couple of bowls and spoons!” she lied, “we’ll just take these and go!” she laughed nervously picking up some random kitchen equipment nearby, and struggling to keep it all in her arms.

“Here let us help you with that!” Lukas exclaimed, rushing over just in time to catch a falling bowl, the sound of metal on metal tinging as it hit his red rust coloured armor. “Felicia can you take these spoons for the Summoner?”

Felicia adjusted her kerchief and rushed over, reaching out for the utensils, “Whoa!” Felicia giggled, “Sorry, almost dropped them!” she said as she miss-timed the hand-off with Lukas.

The four set off for the south wing kitchen, as they did the unholy sounds of crashing and screams continued as they left the chaotic kitchen behind them.

“I’m sure they’re fine.” Lukas said with confidence, and Felicia giggled.

“Are you two making sweets for your sweeties too?” Felicia asked, smiling ear to ear, eyeing the two of them together.

“Felicia!” Lukas barked, “This is our Summoner, we cannot just ask her personal questions, you should be more respectful” he scolded her.

“Ahh, I’m so sorry!” Felicia cried, looking away in shame.

“It’s okay,” Kiran reassured her, “I don’t mind. But to answer your question, no, there isn’t a “sweetie”, these will be for the Order to sell at the festival.”

“Oh, I’m sorry.” Felicia responded, clearly disappointed in this answer, “I’m sure you’ll meet someone soon!”

“Don’t be sorry! Anyways I’m not interested in being tied down.” Kiran laughed, “I’m perfectly happy on my own!” she said proudly. She didn’t want to discuss her love life, or lack thereof, it had been awhile since her break-up, but it was still often on her mind, and not an experience she wanted to relive anytime soon. “So how did you guys get together?” she asked wanting to changing the subject.

“Well, Lukas, the other Lukas, and I met while fighting the tempest vortex last year, he was so kind and helpful!” Felicia beamed with delight.

“And then Felicia, the other Felicia, and I were introduced to each other by that Felicia and her Lukas,” Lukas added, “and we just hit it off too!”

“Sounds really… confusing...” Ranulf said, giving them a puzzled look.

“I guess from an outside perspective it kind of does.” Lukas chuckled, “Well, here we are.”

They had arrived to the castle’s south wing kitchen, a bit smaller than the main one but it would work in a pinch. Lukas put down the items they had brought with them and said their farewells.

Kiran stared at the recipe card and tried to focus, her mind swam with thoughts of her past. She began to unload the ingredients from the basket and laid them out on the counter, as Ranulf went back to stroke the fire to bring the oven up to temperature. Both were oddly quiet as they completed their tasks. Ranulf grabbed a couple of aprons and joined Kiran at the counter.

“So do you want to talk about what happened earlier?” he asked handing her one of the aprons, throwing the loop of the other over his head.

“Nope.” She replied taking the apron and slipping it on, “I’m fine, really, there’s not much to say.” She tried to sound upbeat to reassure him, “It was a long time ago, and I’m over it.” She lied as she dumped the rest of the items out of the basket into a pile.

“Oh? You could have fooled me!” Ranulf laughed, “You know back in Gallia there was a young Laguz under my command who was pretty smitten with me. She was cute, but perhaps a bit too wild, even for a cat, but It felt nice to be wanted by her. Anyways I kind of just assumed that we would pair up after the war ended.” He told her reaching for the bottle of merlot, “but as time went on it became clear that we were not meant to be together. She never would have admitted it, but I could tell there was someone else on her mind, a certain tiger that she had grown close to in our squad.” He poured out two glasses of the dark red wine handing her one.

“A toast then!” Kiran exclaimed, grabbing the glass wine and raising it, “To love being completely overrated and pointless across all worlds!”

“No, that’s not the point I’m trying to make.” Ranulf said shaking his head, “Yeah it sucks, and it hurts, but what I’m saying is if it’s not working out, ending it is for the best. There’s no point in forcing a relationship, nobody will be happy in that situation. Breakups aren’t the end of the world, life moves on, and so should you.”

Kiran didn’t look up, and was quiet for a moment, fiddling with the recipe card, sharing at the ingredients. “We’re missing the course sea salt toppings…” she quietly said, falling back on old habits, trying to change the subject.

“Are you sure? Because it seems to me there’s plenty of salt right here.” Ranulf told her only half joking as he drained his glass, “I’ll be back, I’m just going to grabbed some from the main kitchen, if it hasn’t burned down yet…” he sighed, and commented as he left, “Maybe just think about? You don’t want to spend the rest of your life pushing people away over whatever happened in your past.”

Kiran nodded without saying a word as Ranulf left the room. She took a deep breath and started to prep the baking ingredients. Part of her always knew what he was telling her was true, but there was another part that didn’t want to move on, she wanted to hold onto her anger. It was the only thing protecting her heart from being hurt again.

Kiran tried to push it from her mind, “Stupid Valentine’s Day.” she mumbled.

* * *

Kiran touched the parchment card in her coat pocket, as she watched a few of the dancers move around the ballroom floor. The Day of Devotion Gala was running smoothly and heroes came and went as they had their fill of hors d'oeuvres and dancing. She made small talk and smiled like was expected of her, but for the first time today her smile was genuine.

Earlier that afternoon Kiran had time to think during the rest of her and Ranulf’s baking session. It had not been the lively, outgoing time she had planned to distract herself from the holiday, but a time for quiet reflection. She thought about the relationships and friends she had formed since coming to Askr and what they meant to her, and she thought about her life in Askr, compared to what awaited back in her world. When she returned to her room that early evening she knew what she had to do to change her outlook on life, or there was no moving forward for her.

Kiran opened the drawer to her bedside nightstand, and pulled out a small velvet bag she had tucked in the corner for safe keeping. Slipping her hand in she could feel the all too familiar cool glass and metal that had once played such a huge role in her life. Pulling out the phone, she found the power button and held it down, turning it on. The soft light illuminated as the device booted up, and she felt her stomach drop when she heard the manufacturers chime indicating that it was ready to be used. She stared at the home screen contemplating her next move. She quickly pulled up the photo’s app, and there it all was. Brightly coloured pictures glowed of her life before Askr. Her clothes, foods, her home, job, and finally her ex. Showcasing only the happiest moments, she remembered showing these off like a badge of honor, as if she had unlocked the highest of achievements one could for a perfect life.

Kiran sniffed and covered the screen with her palm, none of it was real. They were never happy outside these times; they were just going through the motions until she caught him cheating, on Valentine’s Day of all days. She looked back at the pictures, “This isn’t what I want anymore…” she said quietly, check boxing all the pictures that included him and sending them to the trash bin. She then proceeded to go through her chat logs and message apps following suit, deleting any reminder of her old relationship. She came down to her last text. The one that kept her from moving on.

_“I screwed up, I want you back.”_

__

The last message she had received before being magically transported to Askr, and it had to be from him trying to fix things after almost a year of hell. She couldn’t help but hold on to it during her time here, and wonder what if she went back, they could pick-up where they left off, she would be back on her path to her perfect life.

Kiran shook her head, no more, she had to let him go and her notion of what a perfect life is and how to achieve it. She pressed delete, and clutched the phone as she watched the message disappear from her life forever, there was no turning back now.

Kiran let out a laughed and flopped backwards on to her bed, letting the phone go and falling away to her side. For some reason she thought she would feel different, like have some sort of epiphany after, but she didn’t, she just felt satisfied. She rolled out of bed and set out to complete her next plan of action.

“Hey Kiran, this is quite the turn out, I almost couldn’t find you!” Ranulf said squeezing through the crowd of heroes watching the dance.

Kiran popped out of her daydream when she heard her name. She had hardly noticed how many heroes had filled the ballroom now. Smiling, laughing, dancing and eating, happy together. She wanted to be like them, and feel that too.

“Ranulf!” Kiran said, pulling out the parchment card she had in her pocket, “I wanted to thank you and let you know how much I appreciate having you as my friend!” She told him, holding out the card for him to take, “It’s not much, I kind of made it last minute, but I wanted to make this Day of Devotion special, for both of us!” she gave a nervous laugh.

Ranulf looked shocked, and his ear twitched when he took the makeshift card that she had thrown together at the last minute with pieces of parchment she found in her room.

“ _Life would be a Cat-tastrophe without you! Thank-you for always being there for me!_ ” Ranulf read the card out loud, and laughed.

“Daww,” he smiled, and wrapped his arm around her shoulders rocking to the music. “But I don’t have anything to give you…”

“You’ve already given me so much; you don’t have to do anything else…” Kiran told him laughing.

“Oh! I know, come on!” Ranulf exclaimed, grabbing her hand and leading her to the dance floor.

“What!? No. I don’t know how!” Kiran cried, turning red as he pulled her on to the dance floor.

“Neither do I!” Ranulf smiled, trying his best to mimic what the other dancers were doing. “Ready?”

Kiran laughed and allowed herself to be lead away, spinning and making up steps, as they tried their best to coordinate with the other dancers, keeping the beat of the music, and failing miserably. But it didn’t seem to bother the other heroes, save for a small group that scoffed at their lowbrow behavior. More heroes were inclined to join in, and it wasn’t before long the ballroom dance floor was filled with heroes moving to the music however they pleased.

“Did you want to talk about?” Ranulf asked as he twirled her around in a goofy pirouette.

“Not right now!” Kiran laughed, trying to keep up.

“Okay, when you’re ready, I’ll be here to listen!” he told her, watching the other dancers, “Hold on, here we go again!” he cried as he spun them in the opposite direction.

“I won’t let go!” Kiran laughed, her head was dizzy, but she didn’t mind. She looked up at her dance partner, _*Stupid Day of Devotion_ *, she thought to herself.

End.


End file.
